| Wild Flowers of the Coast
Gosport's Shingle Coastline
Eryngium maritimum Sea Holly Geranium purpureum ssp. forsteri 'Little-Robin' Calystegia soldanella Sea Bindweed Euphorbia paralias Sea Spurge Scrophularia scorodonia Balm-leaved Figwort Crithmum maritimum Rock Samphire Inula crithmoides Golden Samphire
|
|
| The shore near Gilkicker Point showing Sea Kale**Crambe maritima
9th July 2003
|
Gosport is situated on the south coast of England on the north side of The Solent, in Hampshire. Gosport's beaches are mostly shingle, with a few, usually small areas, where sand or fine mud is more evident. Some of the plants to be found along the shore of are illustrated below.
Shingle shores are not as common as you might think.
Plants marked ** have further images in the galleries. See bottom of page for references.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eryngium maritimum (Sea Holly)** Photograph: Lee-on-the-Solent, Gosport, 29th June 2009.
The first confirmed record in Gosport was of one lone plant from Browndown SSSI (Browndown Ranges) on 25th August 2000. It was though, apparently known from Browndown Ranges long before then: 'I recall being told that this species grew in small quantity at Browndown Ranges, but cannot find any reference in writing nor have I seen it myself' (Appleton et al., 1976). There were no firm records though, and presence in Gosport is not indicated in The Flora of Hampshire (Brewis et al., 1996).
In 2004, although there is still only one plant on Browndown Ranges, a colony seems to be developing on the replenished beach along Lee-on-the-Solent, to the west of the Ranges.
|
|
In 2005 the colony along Lee-on-the-Solent beach is doing very well, although the single plant on Browndown Ranges SSSI which had happily survived the 'trampling' of the public, has been replaced by a fence post, apparently erected because one of the countryside agencies wasn't 'happy' with the shingle vegetation on the site! Let's hope that the colony on the beach nearby prospers, and that the disturbance caused in erecting the fence on the SSSI will enable some new seed to germinate.
In 2007 the Eryngium has not yet been re-found on the Ranges, but it is continuing to proliferate along the shore of Lee-on-the-Solent, and is still thriving in June 2009. DRA
In 2009 it is still thriving. DRA
Along the south-central coast between Sidmouth in Devon and Hastings in Sussex it only occurs in three areas (Preston et al., 2002); the Chesil Beach area, the Solent area, and the Littlehampton area.
|
|
|
|
| Geranium purpureum ssp. forsteri ('Little-Robin')** . Photograph: Gosport, Hampshire, 18th May, 1999.
A small annual plant, this one was about 6cms high and barely showing above the shingle. As with many of our rarer plants, 'Little-Robin' has very specific requirements, and only occurs is a few locations, with a preference for coastal shingle, of which Hampshire has a good proportion. As with many annual plants numbers can vary, and although a population of 'many thousands' sounds good, in a poor year numbers may plummet drastically.
|
|
| This is one of of Hampshire's rarer plants, with few locations in Hampshire, and Gosport has a very good population.
|
|
|
|
|
Crithmum maritimum (Rock Samphire). Photograph: Forton Lake, Gosport, Hampshire, 8th September 1996.
In Gosport Rock Samphire is most frequent along the south coast at Lee-on-the-Solent, particularly since the replenishment of the beach several years ago; it is also locally frequent in the area near Gilkicker Point, and scattered around the edge of Forton creek (Lake) and up along the east coast to Hardway, and at Workhouse Lake. It is usually found on the shingle beaches or in cracks on sea walls and promenades in Gosport.
|
|
It occurs along most of The Solent coast in Hampshire, and along the creeks of the north part of Portsmouth, but appears to be absent from Southampton Water.
|
|
|
|
| Calystegia soldanella (Sea Bindweed). Photograph: Lee-on-the-Solent, Gosport, Hampshire (UK), 3rd August 2003.
Shown as present in SZ59Z The Flora of Hampshire (Brewis et al., 1996), but not mentioned in Plants of the Alver Valley (Bryant, 1976). I first started looking for in in 1997 but it took years for me to track it down. I finally found it in Gosport on 3rd August 2003 on the replenished beach along Lee-on-the-Solent, south of the sailing club, and a then found a second patch 50m to the west.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Euphorbia paralias (Sea Spurge).
Photograph: Lee-on-the-Solent, Gosport, Hampshire (UK), 3rd August 2003
(showing close-up of flowers and fruits).
Another plant which seems to have found a niche on the replenished beach of Lee-on-the-Solent. A thriving colony has developed over the last few years.
|
|
|
|
| Scrophularia scorodonia (Balm-leaved Figwort)
Found on Burrow Island (Rat Island), Portsmouth Harbour on 29th June 1996. I believe this is the first natural occurrence of this species to be recorded in Hampshire.
Unfortunately Burrow Island is within the political boundary of Portsmouth, but because I found it, and since it is only accessible from the mainland via Gosport I consider it to be an honorary Gosport plant.
|
|
|
|
|
| Inula crithmiodes (Golden Samphire)
This occurs most frequently in harbours on either side of Portsmouth (Portsea Island), and is plentiful around Forton Lake.
|
|
|
|
References:
1. Appleton, D. et al. 1976, The Insects and Plants of the Alver Valley, Private Publication
2. Brewis, A., Bowman, P., and Rose, F., 1996, The Flora of Hampshire, Harley Books
3. Preston, C.D., Pearman D.A., and Dines, T.D., 2002, New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora, OUP
|
